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Riding Shotgun with Rick

Bresnan Security Suite

Our local cable Internet provider, Bresnan, starting sending out notices about their new security suite from Computer Associates. Computer Associates is one of the older technology companies and produces great software, and I haven’t seen the product yet, but based on the description in the email, I wouldn’t jump on board.

As with most suites, they are usually too big, too slow, and don’t protect you well enough. As of today, I recommend the Castellini on Computers Hybrid Security Suite:

1. AVG Anti-virus
2. Windows Defender
3. A router for your high speed connection
4. Windows Firewall
5. Monthly updates and scans with SypBot Search and Destroy and/or Super AntiSpyware
6. Cloudmark Desktop anti-spam
7. MOST IMPORTANT: ONLY browse the Internet with Mozilla Firefox

Another fluff feature unveiled in Windows Vista – Video Tip

Windows Vista still doesn’t seem to be gaining any momentum in the fans department after 10 months. Today, I discovered this new feature (see the 53 second video below) that Microsoft took 7 years and billions of dollars to develop and implement in Vista. Once again, instead of Wow, I’m asking, “Why?”

The Top 10 Free Porn and Poker Web Sites

Let’s all face it. We don’t have to agree with it or even like it, but the porn and gaming (poker) industry push the boundaries of the Internet and sometimes that translates to a better Internet experience for all of us.

How to fix Windows Mail when you can’t delete messages

I ran into a problem today with a Windows Vista machine that apparently isn’t unique. This tip only applies to Windows Vista users who use Windows mail.

Problem: Can’t delete any messages in Windows Mail…which also prevents new messages from being read.

Symptom: When you try and delete a message in Windows Mail, you get an “Internal Error” message then have to restart the program.

Solution:

Saving valuable time with your computer

Computers are supposed to save us loads of time. In many cases, they do…or at least can save us time. However, I see too many people spinning their wheels for hours or days and in some cases months trying to figure out an answer to a problem with their computer.

Or some computer users spending the same amount of time trying to figure out how to accomplish a task they want to complete with no real direction of how to get there.

When it comes to just about anything, I learned many, many years ago that I like to know that I’m heading in the right direction. I may be one of the rare males who WILL pull over and ask for directions if I have the slightest inclination that I’m not going the right way.

Deep Cleaning Temporary Files in Windows XP

Temporary files are used by our computers to provide behind the scenes speed and function. When we use any program from Solitaire to programming a database, our computers are performing hundreds or thousands of duties behind the scenes…creating, modifying, and sometimes deleting files.

The files left behind are known as temporary files. Temporary files are just that; temporary and expendable. Thousands of them can stack up over time taking up valuable space and slowing your computer.

Since Windows 98, Microsoft has provided us a great little tool called Disk Cleanup. Disk Cleanup can delete Temporary Internet Files, Temporary Windows files and more all in one easy to use utility. Disk Cleanup can be found by:

1. Click Start
2. Click Programs (All Programs)

Re-name your files and folders the easy way – Video Tip

Renaming files and folders can be a tricky task with the mouse. However, using your keyboard, renaming your files or folders is simple!

1. Click ONE time on the file or folder that you want to rename
2. Press the F2 key on your keyboard
3. Type the new name (remember that you can use up to 255 characters…but no slashes)
4. Press Enter on your keyboard

There you have four easy steps to organizing your files. Also, remember that you can perform this same function from within the OPEN or SAVE dialog boxes in many programs.

The only time that you cannot use this techniques is when the file is open.

Don’t add any extra mouse clicks or keyboard strokes to this tip and you should find instant success with this technique.

To rename multiple files at the same time, try this:

1. Select the files to be renamed
2. RIGHT Click on any ONE of the files
3. Type the new name for the file
4. Press Enter on your keyboard

The computer then renames the file you RIGHT clicked on and proceeds to rename all of the other selected files with the same name followed by a number in parenthesis.

Watch the video below to see this tip demonstrated.

10 Phrases that we never thought we would utter

I know I’m missing some awfully good phrases, but I wanted to write some of them down. Leave a comment and tell me some other strange, modern tech phrases that would be so out of place 15 years ago and before.

  1. “How much RAM do you have in the PC?”
  2. “Send me a text message on your cell.”
  3. “Do you have an optical or laser mouse?”
  4. “Does this hotel have free wi-fi?”
  5. “I need to defrag my hard drive after I run the disk cleanup.”
  6. “Did you google your that?”
  7. “I shopped on eBay, Craig’s List, Amazon, Newegg, and ecost and still can’t find it.”
  8. “If you don’t have an optical or laser mouse, you have to clean your mouse’s ball so it runs smoothly.”
  9. “Should I buy an 8 megapixel or 10 megapixel camera?”
  10. “Which smart phone is the best, the Treo, iPhone, Razr, or Blackberry?”

These are 10 that I came up with, but I would love to hear tech phrases that you come up with that would have sounded ludicrous in the 20th century…so leave a comment!

Print Folder Contents

The ability to print out the contents of a folder (directory) on your computer does not exist in Windows.

“Why would I need to print out a list of what is in my folders?”, you ask. A couple of reasons actually; 1) it can serve as a quick glance reference to your computer’s contents and 2) you might want to print a copy of file names that you backed up.

Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of programmers everywhere, you can print out those folders’ contents. One such program is called Folder Print 3. It is a FREE utility that you can download and install to satisfy this need.